COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia
| COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia | |
|---|---|
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Namibia |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China (suspected) 30°35′14″N 114°17′17″E / 30.58722°N 114.28806°E |
| Index case | Windhoek, Khomas Region |
| Arrival date | 11 March 2020 (5 years, 4 months, 3 weeks and 5 days) |
| Confirmed cases | 172,557[1] (updated 6 August 2025) |
Deaths | 4,110[1] (updated 6 August 2025) |
| Government website | |
| Namibian Statistics Agency | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Namibia is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula, announced on 14 March 2020 that the virus had reached Namibia. A Romanian couple constituted the two first cases and recovered 79 days after their initial diagnosis.[2]
On 17 March 2020, President Hage Geingob declared a state of emergency which introduced measures such as the closure of all borders, suspension of gatherings and economic related resolutions.[3] The Ministry of Health and Social Services also established an Emergency Response team, operating 24/7, which aimed to intensify the surveillance of COVID-19 in the country, especially at the borders of Namibia. On 28 March 2020, the country went into a full lockdown.
No infections were reported from 6 April 2020 to 20 May 2020, however there was a notable increase in cases after this period - possibly due to local transmission. A second and higher rise of infections began in July 2020, following relaxed restrictions in several regions. The first death was reported 116 days after the arrival of COVID-19 in Namibia.
On 31 July, the Health Minister announced a relaxation in quarantine protocols that would account for faster recovery rates. Patients with a positive COVID-19 result will automatically be regarded as recovered 10 days after their infection, given that they do not display symptoms anymore. According to the Minister, "it has been proven that a person may test positive for COVID-19, for many more week after the symptoms have resolved. However, this does not mean such person is still infective or poses a risk to infect others (sic)".[4]
As of September 2020, Namibia was within the top 18 number of countries with the most COVID-19 cases reported in Africa. Although Erongo lead with the most cases and deaths, Khomas region started to experience a community outbreak and numbers rose exponentially to match that of Erongo. In mid-September, most restrictions were lifted after a significant decrease in daily cases.
- ^ a b Mathieu, Edouard; Ritchie, Hannah; Rodés-Guirao, Lucas; Appel, Cameron; Giattino, Charlie; Hasell, Joe; Macdonald, Bobbie; Dattani, Saloni; Beltekian, Diana; Ortiz-Ospina, Esteban; Roser, Max (2020–2024). "Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19)". Our World in Data. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Namibia declares State of Emergency due to COVID-19 | United Nations in Namibia". namibia.un.org. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ "Ministry of Health and Social Services-Namibia". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.